


Under the Maple Tree: Triggerless

by gworm



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Just Friends, Light Angst, M/M, References to Depression, Strong Friendship - Freeform, no triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-19 10:08:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29624658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gworm/pseuds/gworm
Summary: Gen has been struggling with his mental health, but not too much that it will trigger yours. Senku helps him by being a good friend.
Relationships: Asagiri Gen & Ishigami Senkuu, Asagiri Gen/Ishigami Senkuu
Kudos: 22





	Under the Maple Tree: Triggerless

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Under the Maple Tree](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21723418) by [gworm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gworm/pseuds/gworm). 



> This is the heavily edited version of my other work which contains very triggering topics. I worked very hard on it, so I wanted more people to be able to read it, but the whole plot is very hard to change bc of how much it relies on certain topics
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/21723418  
> original

Being average was, well, average. Sure it meant not being enough to make a difference in the world, but who would want all those responsibilities anyway. It made it possible to enjoy the world around you without having that heavy weight of others’ expectations on your shoulders, but what if that world that was so enjoyable collapsed all at once leaving you powerless to do anything about it? That averageness that granted the relaxing days would then become the biggest burden of them all. 

That was what Gen struggled with most.

He never felt useful. His friends worked on projects day and night, or trained until they collapsed with fatigue, but he couldn’t fight or lift or craft like the others, and he certainly didn’t have every law of science memorized. When the world changed, his averageness turned into weakness. The only thing he had going for him now were his mind tricks and word play, which could only get him so far in a world full of jabbing spears and swinging clubs.

It’s not like it was much better before, though. In modern times, he wasn’t so popular either. Almost everyone saw him as a stuck up brat. A fake. The books he wrote never got much attention, and if they did manage to get some recognition, it wasn’t often, and it wasn’t the good kind. Even Senku said it himself: they were trashy. 

His decision to become a self-proclaimed mentalist stemmed from his natural talent for noticing things. It wasn’t hard for him to get a read on a person with a few words, or a good look. To him, it seemed like it was the only thing he was really good at, so that’s where all his time and effort went. It wasn’t all for nothing, but it’s not the kind of skill that had any chance at protecting him in a forest full of people that wanted to kill him.

Even if he felt like a worthless piece of shit, talking to the school’s counselor was still out of the question. He couldn’t trust someone who was being paid to listen to teenage brats ramble on about their boy trouble. Not only was the whole occupation practically a joke to him, but having his emotions read carefully, as he did to others so often, didn’t quite sit right with him. It was hypocritical for sure but he just couldn’t bring himself through the door and into that invasive room.

Senku’s kingdom of science was hard at work, attempting to recreate the cellphone. He and Senku were the only ones who actually knew what it was they were making, being the only two from before the disaster that froze everyone, but that didn’t put a damper on the team’s excitement. 

But of course, he wasn’t much help to anyone during the crafting process. He tried to help Kohaku and Suika collect materials, but he was too slow to keep up with them, and Senku’s rambling about chemicals was making him go insane. As a result of his uselessness he had a lot of time to himself, but time to reflect upon himself and his past could hardly be considered a good thing.

He tried his best not to think about anything that’d make him feel upset, but sometimes the thought just came. He focused his thoughts on the natural setting as he surrounded himself with the forest. All around him were trees over a thousand years old, the sky was bright and clear, a small stream trickled somewhere behind some bushes. It would have been nice to enjoy the scenery, but the beautiful, peaceful setting only reminded him of what had been lost. It was hard to accept that his old life was gone forever. 

After walking for what seemed like forever, he was becoming fatigued. He leaned himself against a thick maple before letting himself slump to the ground beside it. Sitting with his back against an old tree, he let his thoughts flow freely. He hadn’t even noticed the tears leaking from his eyes until he felt a drop on his hand. The mask he put on for the others had been torn off by the comfort of isolation, and now it was just him and his raw emotions. He wanted for nothing to be wrong with him, but if there truly was nothing wrong, he wouldn’t have been crying. 

Gen didn’t move from that spot until the sunlight had almost disappeared from the bright orange sky. The skin under his eyes felt tight from the tears that he never bothered to wipe away. Slowly, he made his way back to the only place he had to call home, but he was confident that he made the right choice on who to side with. It was amazing how much Senku had already been able to advance the primitive village, it was nothing compared to what Tsukasa had done. 

By the time he reached their little campsite, any remaining sunlight had completely disappeared. It seemed not much had changed since he wandered off earlier, but he knew that every minute was valuable to the genius boy. 

..(small removed part)

He sat up in his makeshift bed, as awake as he could’ve possibly been. He had always had trouble with sleeping, even in his life before. It was difficult for someone with such an active mind to simply turn it off. Memories of his past life haunted him like ghosts. He missed the sound of cars and trains rushing by, the bright lights of cityscapes, the taste of hot food made by skilled chefs. It was a challenge not to cry next to the sleeping bodies of his friends around him, but he won the battle against his emotions for once. Hours seemed to pass by before he finally lost consciousness, and drifted into the world of dreams.

Gen sat himself on a log to watch Senku fiddle with bamboo fibers and wires. His calloused hands moved skillfully to bend the materials and shape them into something he could use. The boy had an admirable sense of determination that Gen could only dream of having himself. 

...(I omitted a large section here)

His mentalist tricks could fool everyone in the new world, but he couldn’t fool himself. 

He sat there sobbing with dry eyes. He couldn’t even bring himself to cry.

...(I also omitted some important dialogue here but basically it was just senku kinda hinting he knows what is going on) 

Deep down inside him, the thought emerged that maybe that was the perfect opportunity to open up, to heal his pain, but the process behind that seemed too annoying to be worth it. He’d be suffering one way or another. 

Gen was back at his new favorite spot. The soft rustle of the leaves and gentle sway of the branches made it a beautiful place to be upset. 

...(I had to omit one of my favorite scenes unfortunately, but it’s ok)

It was hard to find Gen around anymore. It was to his understanding that nobody would notice, or that nobody cared enough about him to look around for him when he left, so he spent practically all of his time wandering around aimlessly, lost in thought. The team probably worked better without him anyway. 

The constant mental turmoil was beginning to affect his physical appearance. He looked sickly and sleep deprived, and any energy he had before had been sucked out of him. Anyone with half a brain could see that he wasn’t alright, but still he insisted on pretending he was. He’d never admit to them that he was weak enough to let himself become that way, or do the things he had done. 

He was starting to hate the maple tree. 

To him, it was the symbol of everything he hated most about himself. The memories he made with it were impossible to forget no matter how hard he tried, but like everything else, his efforts would never be enough. The wretched thing witnessed when he succumbed to his faulty desires over and over again. It knew he wasn’t worthy of anything, that he didn’t deserve to be resurrected, or welcomed into Senku’s kingdom so graciously, or even being on the earth in the first place. Modern or stone, it didn’t matter, he was never fit to be in the world.

..(I just got rid of like a Lot here)

His thoughts were interrupted by a tentative pat on his shoulder. He sat up quickly, startled by the sensation, and was met with a pair of crimson eyes staring back at him.

“Come with me,” Senku whispered, as not to wake the others from their dreams. There was really no choice but to go with the other boy. His tired brain couldn’t think of a convincing excuse quickly enough. 

Anxiety coursed through his veins as they walked together to more private spot, away from their sleeping companions. All of his emotions were being held back by something as flimsy as a sheet of tissue paper, as if any moment they could tear right through and spill out for the world to see. 

“Look... Are you ok?” The scientist seemed well out of his element. It wouldn’t have been surprising if he said he had never dealt with that kind of thing before. He didn’t seem like the confrontation type, much less the type to get into any kind of drama.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Gen was struggling to hold his composure. He could only hope it wasn’t too obvious how nervous he was.

“I’m only concerned,” he tried to seem non threatening. As if those kinds of psychological tricks would work on a mentalist like himself.

“I don’t need your help,” he tried to sound calm, but the coil was starting to come undone, “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine, Gen,” Senku’s voice quivered. The other boy’s response clearly upset him, but it was the price he had to pay for getting himself involved. 

“Well, I am. Leave me alone.” He turned around and started back towards his uncomfortable sleeping arrangement, but was pulled back. Senku’s hand was wrapped tightly around his wrist, keeping him from making his escape from the uncomfortable conversation.

“Don’t touch me,” Gen raised his voice, but the firm and painful grip only tightened. 

“Wait-“ Senku’s fingers tugged at the material of his loose sleeves forcefully.

“Let go of me,” he was almost yelling. With all his strength, he jerked his arm away, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. 

…(small removal) 

“Gen,” Senkuu’s voice was soft. 

“Don’t touch me,” Gen whimpered. As if a dam had collapsed, tears spilled uncontrollably over the edge of his waterline. Neither boy knew what to do in a situation like that. No matter how hard Gen tried, he would not have been able to convince Senku that he had not seen what he clearly had. 

Arms wrapped gently around his shivering body from behind. The warmth radiating off of his friend did nothing to comfort him. He knew it was only temporary, like everything. Like him. 

Breaking away only made him feel emptier. Drying his face with his sleeve, the pair walked back together like nothing had happened.

Neither of them knew what to say to each other after his breakdown. 

Senku was a genius when it came to science but couldn’t be more clueless when it came to emotions. 

...(I removed a whole scene here but tbh I don’t care about it bc it’s my least favorite)

“I don’t care,” He replied in annoyance. “I don’t need you to look after me like I’m your pet”.

“I’m only trying to help.”

“I don’t need your help.” He did. “I’m fine.” He wasn’t fine. 

“You aren’t fine,” Senku continued to press the matter. He was determined not to let anything happen to any of his precious allies. “Kohaku is worried too. We can’t lie to her about this, you know”.

“So you went and told her too? Why do you even care so much?” Gen’s voice was becoming weaker as he tried not to cry in front of the other boy again.

Not concealing his secret enough was a terrible mistake on his part. He now had to deal with resistance, and it wasn’t going to be easy getting away from the hard headed boy. 

“I want to save everyone, and that includes you.” 

“What, so you can be some kind of hero? Count me out of your little fantasy.” He was getting frustrated and desperate to have his way. 

“That's not it-”

“Then why do you care? Why me? I do nothing around here anyways, none of you would care if I were dead!” His volume was raised to a yell, determined to get his point across. He knew Senku didn’t really care about him, he just wanted extra hands for his brutal physical labor team. 

The scientist had no reply for him. Instead of continuing the argument, he went back to the camp. 

...(Theres very little of this conclusion I can actually include ngl)

The harsh winter wind blew strongly through his hair and stung his face, but a little stinging couldn’t phase him now. 

..(heheheh)

“I don’t want to lose you.”

Senku finally let go when the mentalist collapsed to his knees in front of him.

Gen felt like a monster. He was hurting the people around him again. That’s all he ever did. 

“Im sorry,” he whimpered, biting his lip to avoid being overcome with emotion again. 

“It’s alright, nobody’s mad,” Senku sighed with relief, “Let's go back now.” Gen nodded slightly, and went home. 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this two years ago and I’m still stuck on it, I love what I’ve created and I can only improve it.


End file.
